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For Immediate Release
September 9, 2009
Contact: Sally Kohr
(717) 787-4651

Senator Alloway Legislative Update 

In my first term in office, I have worked hard to represent the interests of our communities and be responsible to the citizens who elected me. I strongly believe that state government should be open and accountable to the people it serves and meet the needs of Pennsylvanians at the lowest possible cost, and I have sponsored and cosponsored several important bills that work towards these goals. 

One of the first bills I cosponsored this year would eliminate the property tax burden once and for all. The property tax is one of the most unfair and universally despised taxes of many district residents, and I have cosponsored legislation that would allow the people to replace the property tax through a voter referendum. I also sponsored legislation that would eliminate the inheritance tax (also known as the “death tax”), and I cosponsored a bill to reduce the self-employment tax. 

In addition to these tax reform proposals, I cosponsored several government reform bills that would make the legislative process more open and accountable. These reform proposals would create a searchable online database for state spending, eliminate “lame duck” sessions, prohibit bonuses for Commonwealth employees and increase penalties for violations of the state’s Sunshine Law. The reform package would also improve access to a variety of state government expenditures, including state government employee salaries, plane logs and state vehicle usage. I cosponsored legislation that would remove costly mandates for local governments, allowing local tax dollars to be used more efficiently. I also cosponsored legislation that would require cash assistance recipients to undergo drug screening and supported legislation to crack down on welfare fraud. 

As a strong supporter of our Second Amendment rights, I introduced legislation that would establish the Castle Doctrine in Pennsylvania. This bill would protect gun owners from criminal and civil liability by removing the “duty to retreat” clause when an individual is threatened by an attacker in any place that individual has a right to be, including the individual’s home or vehicle. 

While the Senate’s work in Harrisburg attracts most of the media’s attention, I consider constituent service to be my highest priority. In addition to representing the interests of our communities in Harrisburg, I maintain three district offices to help constituents learn more about programs and services available to community residents. If you have any questions or concerns on any state matter, I encourage you to contact me at my Gettysburg office by calling 717-334-4169, emailing me at alloway@pasen.gov or visiting my website at senatoralloway.com.